Injection valve



Jan. 4, 1944. R. H. HOADLEY INJECTION VALVE Filed Dec. 28, 1940 r u Il BY MMIV/mama r l ///////f/// w. @d

ATTORNEYS Patenged Jan. `4, '1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates `to an injection valve for Diesel engines and has for its object the provision of certain improvements in valves of that character. It is a particular object of the invention to provide an injection valve which may bemanufactured at relatively low cost and which will increase the engine eillciency by providing for a better control over the into the engine cylinder.

The invention-aims to 4provide an injection valve constructed and arranged to effect positive seating and to expel substantially all of the .oil from the valve as it closes, thereby preventing v discharge A of oil the dripping of residual oil into the engine cylinder after the valve has closed. In an especially advantageous construction, the valve comprises a valve body having a chamber and a. duct communicating with one or more openings or orifices for the discharge of oil from the chamber into the engine, and a valve rod'slidable in the chamber having a seating element or member which engages an annular seat in the body. I prefer to use a seat and seating member providing narrow contact such as a seating member o! spherical coniiguration engaging a narrow or at seat and tc provide an extension'or plunger on the valve rod having a piston-like t with the duct to expelthe oil from the duct when the valve closes.

In a more or less complete and preferred :form of injection valve embodying the invention, the extension or plunger iitsinto the duct with a loose sliding iit',l suiiicient clearance being provided to permit the passage of oil through the clearance to the discharge orifice, andA the extension also serves as a guide for the valve rod. The orifice or orifices, as the case may be, may be arranged in any suitable manner, for example as holes having uniform diameters throughout their length such as drill holes, or as holes havinga large diameter portion on the outside of the body and a small diameter portion on the inside of the body,as described in my Patent 2,068,678. An especially eiectiv'e orice according to this inventionrcomprises a single orifice which is merely an extension of the clearance space between the duct and the plunger, whereby a thin cylindrical sheet of oil may be discharged directly into the cylinder.

The valve rod may be actuated in any suitable manner and by means now well known such as cams and the like, or by the pressure of the oil in combination with a spring or other mechanical elements.

The oil injected through the Valve is under a very high pressure, for example 3000 pounds per square inch, Aand it has been the practice heretoi'ore, especially in valves actuated by the oil under pressure, to iit the valve rod into the case with the closest possible t to prevent leakage of oil past the rod. This has required expensive precision construction which not only contributes to the present high cost of the valves, but the valves are diflicult to maintain in operation and their repair often requires the replacement of expensive parts. Ordinarily, repairs are not possible at the time and place needed. This invention contemplates the provision of valve rod packing means to. prevent the leakage of oil past the rod which permits the use of a relatively loose t between the rod and the valve body. Not only are the precision construction and accurate fitting eliminated but the parts do notrequire repair due to slight wear. I'he plunger and body are so constructed that a metallic packing is applied to the valve rod to prevent the leakage of oil. 'I'he use of metallic packing is especially important in the type of valves in which the plunger is actuated in at least one direction by the oll pressure.

In order to reduce the accumulation of carbonA coeiicient of expansion such as bronze, brasa,

copper,1 aluminum and mild steel, or the "like, One important advantage of the relatively loosely itted bparts whicnmay be used in this invention i's the possibility of forming the entire body of metal having a llarge coeilicient of expansion, for example a metal such as mild steel or any suitable alloy steel. The valves constructed heretofore have'had a body portion of metal having a low coeiilcient of expansion, such as tool steel, because excessive expansion would interfere with the valve operation. The loosely tted valve rod packedV with a metallic packing according to the invention may have `a'valve body. ca.-A

pable of relatively great expansion without interfering with the valve operation.

These and othennovel features ofthe invention will be better understood after considering the following description taken in conjunction v with the accompanying drawing, illustrating injecton valves embodying the invention, in which:

num, mild steel or the like.

a flange 3 at the upper end for attachment in the' Y the nut I5. l

sity of providing a precision ilt between the rod Fig. 1 is a sectional side view-of one form of injection valve;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a Seemann side view of another form forms of valve bodies.

The injection valve illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a valve body I preferably formed of a hard wear-resisting metal such as tool steel, the lower portion of which is surrounded by a sheath 2 formed of a metal having a high coemcient of expansion such as bronze, brass, copper, alumi- The valve body has usual way to a cylinder, or the cylinder head of a Diesel engine, the lower end-portion thereof projecting into, or being in communicating contact with the engine cylinder. The central por-A tion of the body is bored .out to provide a cylindrical chamber 4 in which the valve rod 5 is .slidably mounted. The lower portion ofthe chamber is integral or contiguous with a duct 8 which also communicates with the larger diameter opening 9 of the sheath 2, and with an oil passage I which leads to a fuel pump or other suitable source of oil under a high pressure (not shown).

The rod nts the chamber 4 with a loose sliding nt and the lower end-portion includes a spherical seating element II arranged to eilect a seating engagement with the narrow annular seat I2 formed in the body I. The lower end of the rod 5 carries a cylindrical plunger I3 whichslides in the duct 8, the clearance therebetween being somewhere in the neighborhood of .003 to .006 of an inch, thereby providing a cylindrical passage for a thin sheet of oil from the chamber 4 through the opening 9 into the engine cylinder. The cylindrical passage thus provided forms a single oriilce for the charging oi oil into the engine. This single orice has the advantage that the plunger I3 keeps the clearance free of foreign material by reason of its reciprocating action, and stoppges are practically eliminated.

The oil entering the chamber 4 from the passage I 0 yis under such a high pressure that it forces the rod 5 upward during each injection and the rod thereafter is forced downward by a spring or other mechanical means well known. In order to prevent, or at least to effectively supces 22.

press, passage of any appreciable quantity of oil past the rod 5, I provide a metallic packing I5,

which may be formed of a plurality of layers of a material such as high melting point lead packing, or braided copper packing secured in place by means of the packing nut I6. -When the packl ing is tightly compressed around the rod 5 -by the packing nut I8, the metal forms a more or less oil impervious mass having the characteris tics of solid metal. The closest possible sliding nt can be secured and maintained by adjusting This packing eliminates the neces- 5 and the body I. 'I'he sheath 2 and relatively large diameter hole 3 serve to prevent any undue accumulation of carbon at the discharge opening in the manner described in my aforementioned patent. In view, however, of the relatively loose sliding nt of the rod E permitted by reason of the metallic packing, I may use a valve body formed entirely of metal which has high resistance to wear and a high coeilicient of expansion such as that described in connection with Fig. v'1.

The injection valve illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 comprises a valve body 2li and sheath 2l formed of materials such as those described in connection with Fig. 1, but the part of this valve which projects'into the engine cylinder is of tapering `or conical configuration and is of a type known as a multi-orifice valve in which a plurality of very small metering orices 22 in the body are arranged to discharge the oil through the larger diameter overlying holes 23 in the sheath 2l.

AThe orifices are usually formed by drilling and may vary from'.008 to .015 inch in diameter de-A pending upon .the Vhorse-power of the engine.

Thel holes 23 may be about one sixteenth of an4 inch in diameter and are' preferably drilled coaxial with the orices 22. In this'form of valve,-

the valve rod 25 has suchample clearance in the chamber 26 that the oil flows through the clearance from a source' of oil under pressure (not shown). The lower end-portion of the rod 25 has a seating element 21 of spherical configuration arranged to effect a seating with the annular sloping surfaces 28 of the body 2 0.. .The lower portion of the chamber has a cylindrical contiguous duct 29 communicating with the ori- The rod v25 has acylindn'cal extension or plunger 30 which has'a loose sliding nt with the duct 29, the clearance being somewhere in the neighborhood between .003 .and .006 of' an flinch so that the oil under pressure in the chamber 26 may flow through the clearance when the rod 25 is raised and the valve open. In this form of the invention, the rod 25 is suitably connected to, or actuated by, any arrangement of mechanical elements such as rocker mechanism, rails, or the like. It is understood that the ,valve body 20 may be formed of a singlev piece of metal such as that shown in connection with Fig. 8, thereby eliminating the use of the sheath 2|.

The form of injection valve illustrated in Fig. 5 comprises a valve body 35 and sheath 36 similar -to lthat of Fig. 3 and a. valve rod 31 mounted 4with a. loose iit in the chamber 38, which chamber communicates by the passage 38 with a source of oil under a high pressure. The rod 31 is provided with a metallic packing 40 and packing nut III as described in Fig. 1. In this form of valve, the oil under pressure forces the rod 31 upward and the oil is otherwise discharged through the orifice 42 and larger diameter holes 43 as described in connection with Fig. 3.

'Ihe form of valve illustrated in Fig. 6 comprises a valve body 50 and sheath 5I suchas described in Fig. 1 having a chamber 52 in which the valve rod 53 is slidable, the space 54 between -the rod and chamber being sulcient to permit free passage of pil from the pump into the chamber. 'I'he rod, like the rod 25 of Fig. 3, is connected to. and actuated by, any suitable mechanical means, and the' oil flows between the ball and annular seat through the duct .and discharge opening into the end of the cylinder as described in the description of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 illustrates a unitary valve body of the type which may be used in the valves of Figs. 1 and 6, the body being formed of any suitable metal such as mild steel having high resistance to wear and such a coeiilcient of expansion that the expansion and contraction thereof will loosen thereon.

The form ofvalve 'body illustrated inv Fig. v8 is of the form suitable for use in such valves as those illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5 and is formed of the same kind oi' metal as that described in connection with Fig. '1.

In the improved injection valves of the invention. the narrow annular seat makes possible a positive seating with ar minimum of possibility for material to become lodged under the seat. The duct is inside the annular seat as shown in the drawing, thereby eliminating a pocket or trap for the accumulation of 'foreign matter that would otherwise interfere with the movement of the valve rod. The plunger sliding in the duct has a tendency to break up and force out any foreign matter that may be entrained in the oil.

I claim: .s l. A' tip member for an injection valve Vfor Diesel engines which comprises a valve body hav? ing an inner chamber. a valve rod slidable in the chamber with a relatively loose tit, a metallic packing in cooperating engagement with the body and the valve rod. said metallic packing provide' ing a precision t for the valve rod, thereby guiding the valve rod and preventing a leakage of oil from the chamber. an annular valve,seat in the valve body, a seating member on the valve rod arranged to coact with the seat, at least one of the seating surfaces being convex, whereby a very narrow positive' seating contact is provided. the valve rod being movable in one direction to press the seating member into closing engagement with the seat and movable in the opposite direction to remove the seating mem ber from the seat. a duct in the valve body contiguous with the chamber. at least one orifice in the valve body for discharging oil into the engine communicating with the duct. a plunger on the rod having a ioose sliding at with the duct. said duct, rod, oriilce. and plunger being so constructed and arranged that as L,the valve rod moves to bring the seating member into engagement with the seat the plunger expels substan I tially all `of the oil from the duct. thereby preventing a drip of residual oil into the engine after the injection of oil has stopped.

2. A tip member for an injection valve i'or Diesel engines of the type having a valve rod actuated to open the valve by the pressure of the fuel oil and other means for closing the valve which comprises a body in which the valve rod is slidab'le with a loose t, said body being insertable through the engine into the combustion space, metallic lpacking in cooperating engagement with the body and the valve rod to prevent appreciable leakage o! oil past the valve rod. whereby precision forming of the rod and the coacting surface of the body is unnecessary;-

3. An improved tip member` for an injection valve for Diesel engines which comprises a valve body having a. chamber and contiguous duct. a valve rod slidable in the chamber with a relatively loose rit, a metallic packing in cooperating.

engagement with the body and the valve rod, said metallic packing providing a precision nt i'or the I valve rod, thereby guiding the valve rod and pre` venting leakage of oil from the chamber, an an' l nular seat in the valve body spaced trom 'the duet, a convex seating member'actuated by the valve rod and arranged to engage -the seat with a. narrow contact and prevent the passage of oil from the chamber to the duct, a plunger on the valve rod and slidable in the duct, the elearance between Ithe duct and the plunger being sulcient to serve as an orlce, whereby oil trom the chamber is ejected through the clearance when the valve is open.

l RAYMOND H. HOADLEY. 

